Voter Registration

There is no more important responsibility of citizenship than voting! If you are not yet registered to vote, you are welcome to register in person at the Perry County Election Commission Office at 133 Factory Street in Linden. You can also register to vote online with the State of Tennessee. voter-reg-form.pdf

To become a Registered Voter, you must be at least 18 years old at the time of the next election. You MUST NOT have been convicted of a felony unless you have had your voting rights restored if you have been convicted. You must be a United States citizen. You must live in Tennessee. All voter registrations must be complete at least 30 days before the upcoming election to vote.

To exercise your right to vote at the poll, either on Election Day or during early voting, you must produce a Tennessee Driver's License, a Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Identification, a United States Passport, or a photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government or US military photo ID or a Tennessee handgun carry permit with a photo.

Voter Eligibility

To be eligible to vote in Tennessee:

• You must be a citizen of the United States.
• You must be (18) years of age or older on or before the date of the next election.
• You must be a resident of Tennessee. View Guidelines for Determining Residency and special considerations for Homeless Persons, Residency and Non-resident Property Owners.
• If you have been convicted of a felony, your eligibility to register and vote depends on the crime and the date of your conviction. If your conviction made you ineligible, you may regain your eligibility if your conviction has been expunged or if you have had your voting rights restored, unless you were convicted of a crime that rendered you permanently ineligible to vote. View Eligibility to Vote after a Felony Conviction.

In order to participate in an election, a qualified voter must be properly registered no later than thirty (30) days before the election. The election commission office will process any by-mail voter registration form that has been postmarked at least thirty (30) days before the election. T.C.A 2-2-109.

How to Register to Vote

You have options:

• Use online voter registration to register to vote or update your voter registration
• Visit our offices at 113 Factory St., Linden, TN 37096.
• Download and complete the Voter Registration Application and mail the application to your county election commission. A sample pdf version of the form is available for download.

Pick up voter registration applications in person at the following locations:

• County Election Commission Offices
• County Clerk’s Offices
• Public Libraries
• Register of Deeds Offices
• Register during a transaction with one of the following agencies:
• Department of Health (WIC program)
• Department of Human Services
• Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
• Department of Mental Health
• Department of Safety (motor vehicles division)
• Department of Veteran’s Affairs

Running for Office

A run for office begins with picking up an official petition to have your name placed on the ballot. This is available at the Election Commission. You will need to find registered voters within the district you plan to run in to sign the petition to get your name on the ballot.

Positions may have different qualifications, such as a minimum age or a specific education requirement, and may require different numbers of signatures. The Election Commission can provide you with a list of these requirements. 

Voting Options

There are three ways to vote, but every voter MUST present a Tennessee Driver’s License photo ID or a Tennessee Safety and Homeland Security photo id.

1. Early Voting. Early Voting is done in person at the Election Commission. During Early Voting, the Office is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday–Friday (the Office closes from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for lunch).
2. Absentee Voting. Under certain circumstances, registered voters may request that a paper ballot be mailed to them and returned to the Election Commission by United States Mail. The first day to request a ballot is 90 days before the election, and the last day to request a ballot is 7 days before election day. All ballots must be received by the Perry County Election Commission via United States mail not later than the close of the voting polls on the election day. Download Absentee Request Form | Military/Overseas Absentee Request Information
3. Election Day Voting. Go to your designated polling location and cast your ballot during regular voting hours on election day.

Absentee Voting Requirements

You can vote absentee by mail if you fall under one of the following categories:

• You will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on Election Day.
• You or your spouse is a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered.
• You are on the permanent absentee list 
• You reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or home for the aged outside your county of residence.
• You will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty.
• You are sixty (60) years of age or older.
• You have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place.
• You are hospitalized, ill, or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote; and/or you have determined it is impossible or unreasonable to vote in-person due to the COVID-19 situation.
• You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled, and/or you have determined it is impossible or unreasonable to vote in-person due to the COVID-19 situation.
• You are a candidate for office in the election.
• You serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election commission.
• You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day.
• You or your spouse possesses a valid commercial driver's license (CDL) or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card, and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and Election Day, and have no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time.
• You are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen.

Request and Absentee Ballot

You must submit a written request containing the information below to the Perry County Election Commission office by the seventh day before Election Day. You can use the absentee ballot request form to make sure all required information is provided.

You can submit your written request for an absentee ballot by mail, fax, or e-mail. If emailing your request, ensure the attached document includes the information below and your scanned signature.

• Name of the registered voter
• Address of the voter’s residence
• Voter’s social security number
• Voter’s date of birth
• Address to mail the ballot
• The election in which the voter wishes to participate. If the election involves a primary, the political party in which the voter wishes to participate.
• Reason the voter wishes to vote absentee. If applicable, a copy of the CDL containing the CDL number or the TWIC card must be included in the voter’s request.
• Voter’s signature

A request that contains this information will be processed, and a ballot will be mailed to the voter.

NOTICE: A person who is not an employee of an election commission commits a Class E felony if such person gives an application for an absentee ballot to any person or commits a Class A misdemeanor if such person gives an unsolicited request for an application for an absentee ballot to any person. T.C.A. § 2-6-202(c)(3) and (4).

Permanent Absentee Ballot List

You will receive an application for a ballot for each election if your licensed physician signs a statement stating that, in their judgment, you are medically unable to vote in person. The statement must be filed not less than seven (7) days before the election and signed under the penalty of perjury.

Requesting An Absentee Ballot

You may request an absentee by-mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than seven (7) days before the election. To be processed for the next election, the application must be received by the election commission no later than seven (7) days before the election.

Returning the Ballot

You must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day. You cannot drop off your ballot; mail it in. This means it must be sent to Nashville first, then returned for counting in a national election.

You cannot hand-deliver your ballot to the elections office. You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.).  Be sure to allocate sufficient time for the US Postal Service and allow for potential delays.